The right to education gives the right to choose

Katsumi Noguchi's commentary on The Asahi Shimbun's opinion page March 4 (Herald Tribune/Asahi on March 16) is critical of the school-choice system.

He argued that the system would do three things: aggravate divisions within local communities and thus dilute the quality of education; lead to school rankings; and shake the very foundation of compulsory education.

I disagree, and hope to refute his argument by addressing the philosophy behind, and significance of, the school-choice system.

The Council for the Promotion of Regulatory Reform, a government panel of which I am a member, submitted its second report in December.

In preparing the report, we repeatedly discussed what measures would be needed to enhance the competence of teachers and improve the quality of schools.

We agreed that education reform should be undertaken from the point of view of students and their guardians, from start to finish. If I may quote Takao Kusakari, a council member in charge of educational problems, reform should be advanced "not as an administrative measure, but as the right of learners."

What elementary, junior and senior high school students and their guardians want more than anything else is for students to be able to study at "good schools" that have "good teachers."
If the system is changed to allow students and their guardians to choose their own schools and evaluate the teachers there, it would encourage both schools and teachers to compete against each other, and grow as a result--better schools, better teachers.

With that in mind, the report asked local boards of education "to establish systems to evaluate teachers and schools that reflect the views of students and guardians" and urged the government to provide guidelines for establishing those kinds of systems.

We are also studying the merits of a school-choice system based on budgetary allocation to schools in proportion to the number of pupils.

These systems are aimed at putting into practice the right to education, one element of the basic social rights guaranteed by Article 26 of the Constitution.

Under the compulsory education system, public elementary and junior high schools are required to provide "good educational service at a low cost" to all Japanese children.

Currently, however, children from high-income families tend to opt for private schools. As a result, the division of schools by income is becoming more distinct.

This is the very "division within local communities" and "school ranking" that Noguchi warned against.

To fix this, the school-choice system can be a decisive factor, helping to improve the quality of public schools and their teaching staff. It would also help schools win the trust of students and guardians.

Some people are concerned about giving students and guardians a certain degree of choice, and the power to evaluate schools.

But not trusting the public to use their rights appropriately is undemocratic.

The government sets teaching guidelines to ensure minimum learning standards. It also needs a set of guidelines to guarantee students' and guardians' right to choose schools.

For example, disadvantaged students with disabilities or from poor families should be given priority in a variety of areas. This can easily be implemented with the combination of the school-choice system and the enrollment-proportional budgetary allocation.

It is also unreasonable to require that all families, regardless of their circumstances, make "contributions" to schools in the name of strengthening "community educational power."

Properly speaking, such matters are the responsibility of schools. Forcing families to play a role is like putting the cart before the horse.

These are parts of the national minimum standards of education. The government's role should be restricted to providing them.

The Council for Regulatory Reform is studying exactly how to base education on the rights of students, as befitting a mature, democratic society. An active citizens' debate on this issue is vital.

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200604010208.html